Hair straightener



voct' 1960 L. J. BEAL ETAL 2,955,604

HAIR STRAIGHTENER Filed April 14, 1958 FIG.1.-

INVENTORS L J BEAL.

A R .JOKELA BY I L Q I! ATTORNEY Unite HAIR STRAIGHTENER Laurence J. Bea], 3601 H St., and Allen R. Jokela, 4670 Lewis Ave., both of Eureka, Calif.

Filed Apr. 14, 1958, Ser. No. 728,233

6 Claims. (Cl. 132-38) the hair and scalp in order to improve the appearance or coiirure and to obtain the eifect desired or 'to' suit the States Patent M 2,955,604 Patented Oct. 11, 1960 clamp in separate relation prior to application; and

Fig 4, a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Briefly stated the invention is a comb formed of a series of slightly spaced parallel plates joined together in personal preference of the individual whether male or female.

others costly. Also, some methods employed are safe whileothers are dangerous. Among the dangerous methods are those which involve the use of hot'irons, harsh and dangerous alkali caustics, heavy unsightly waxes and the like.

One of the most popular and probably the most efiective of the hair straighteners is a substance similar to but stronger than a strong cold permanent wave solution which is combed through the hair until a degree of straightness is achieved.

This is only partially effective as there is no means for holding the hair in a desirably straight position during the period of the chemical softening and setting action. Holding the hair in set condition is most essential during the period of saturation and setting and until the application and complete penetration of a chemical neutralizer.

One of the difliculties of this type of operation is that there is no effective means for retaining or holding the hair in a definite relation and therefore excessively strong solutions are required which are detrimental to the hair and scalp.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the deficiencies enumerated by providing simple inexpensive and eifective means for holding or maintaining the hair in a definite position and condition so that a mild safe permanent solution may be employed which will not cause injury to the hair or scalp.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure which can be pulled through the hair in the manner of a comb with the teeth toward the head during which use the hair that is curly kinky or not straight will offer resistance to the passage of the device and be pulled straight all the way to the roots and secured in such straight condition.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cooperating member in the form of a clamp of a configuration to intimately engage the hair and fasten it to the comb with the pointed ends of the clamp between the comb and clamp and close to the scalp.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be a solid body at one edge providing grooves between which hair can be extended into a straight line and with a clamp of wire or the like fitted across said plates for holding the hair in such grooves during the application of solution thereto. A number of such devices are applied to the hair sufficiently to cover the part desired and to hold the hair while the solution is applied. Due to the dimensions of the device the longer hair which grows away from the scalp will be held securely by the double prongs.

With continued reference to the drawing, the hair straightener of the present invention comprises a comb and a clamp. The comb is formed of a series of relatively small elongated plates 10 disposed in slightly spaced parallel relation and connected at their rear in a relatively solid or continuous back 11 with acentral relatively wide slot or groove 12. This provides a series of parallel troughs or grooves 13 the bottoms of which between such parallel plates are straight. Thus hair can be pulled into a straight line lengthwise of such grooves.

The plates 10 are provided with a pair of aligned spaced circular openings or recesses 14 forming a pair of channels for the reception of retaining prongs 15 disposed parallel to the body 16 of a clamp formed of a pair of parallel U-shaped members connected by an integral portion 17 which body 16 and prongs 15 fit over opposite edges of said plates.

The semi-circular recesses or depressions 14 in the free edges of the plates 10 are in alignment so that they re-' ceive the prongs 15 of the clamp while the body 16- of the clamp is received in the slot 12 created for the purpose.

In the use of the device the comb will be pulled through the hair until the hair is straight with the grooves between the plate and the clamp is then applied so that it engages the recesses 14 in the front of the comb and the slot 12 in the back where it is retained during the application of solution to thus cause the hair to assume a straight formation instead of otherwise.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A hair straightener comprising a series of generally rectangualr plates secured in slightly spaced parallel relation and united at one edge into a unitary structure with grooves having straight bottoms between the plates, said straightener being adapted to be stroked through the hair to extend the hair in a straight line in such grooves, said plates having spaced pairs of aligned generally semicircular openings on one edge and a groove on the opposite edge for receipt of a clamp over both sides of the comb structure and in a manner to retain the hair when extended in the grooves in said straightener.

2. A hair straightener as set forth in claim 1, where said clamp is of U-shaped construction and of a width to embrace snugly said straightener and fn'ctionally eugage opposite faces thereof, one leg of said clamp comprisinga pair of spaced prongs receivable within said semi-circular openings while the other leg of said clamp engages the groove on the opposite face of said hair straightener.

3. A hair straightening device comprising a substantially rectangular comb-like structure grooved on the front face thereof to provide closely spaced teeth extending across the entire length of said face, said grooves being of substantial depth and extending from front to back of the device, a pair of spaced transversely located grooves extending across said teeth, the rear face of said device being provided with a transversely disposed slot, and a clamp for retaining the comb-like structure on hair with the strands of said hair in extended straightened condition within the grooves of said comb-like structure, said clamp being of generally U-shaped conformation, one leg of said clamp comprising a pair of spaced prongs receivable within the pair of grooves on the front face of the comblike structure, the other leg of said clamp frictionally engaging the slot on the rear face of said hair straightening comb-like structure.

4. A hair straightening device comprising a comb and clamp, said comb including a series of plates in substantially parallel relation, each of said plates having an opening extending inwardly from one edge, said plate openings being similarly aligned and in composite, forming a channel along one face of the comb, said clamp being of a U-shaped conformation and movably attached to the comb, one leg of the clamp engaging within the channel on the one face of the comb and the opposing leg engaging against the opposing face of the comb whereby when the hair is placed within the parallel plates of the comb and the clamp is attached, the clamp is acting to secure the device to the hair in a manner that the device may be carried in the hair and the one leg thereof is causing the 4 hair to be pressed lightly in substantially straight extendd position within said plates.

5. A hair straightening device comprising a comb and clamp, said comb including a series of plates mounted in parallel spaced relation to form a plurality of grooves, each of said plates having an opening extending inwardly from one edge, said plate openings being similarly aligned and, in composite, forming a channel disposed across one face of the comb and arranged transversely to the grooves, said clamp being of a U-shaped conformation and being slideably attached to the comb, one leg of the clamp engaged within the channel on the one face of the comb, and the opposing leg engaged against the opposing face of the comb.

6. A compact lightweight hair straightening device of a weight and bulk such that it can be readily Worn attached to and carried on the hair of the human head, said hair straightening device comprising a relatively short comb body formed of a plurality of relatively thin toothforming partitions connected in closely spaced relation along one edge from end to end and projecting outwardly, clamping means substantially coextensive with and attached to said comb body, said clamping means spanning and being retained across the outer edges of the tooth forming partitions for engaging and maintaining the strands of hair in extended straightened condition between said teeth and for attaching the hair to the comb body whereby the device may be carried on the hair.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 589,397 Rhodes Aug. 31, 1897 1,002,942 Taylor Sept. 12, 1911 1,380,064 Hoffman May 31, 1921 1,432,251 Lee Oct. 17, 1922 2,419,777 Howe Apr. 29, 1947 

